New to keeping chickens

[chickpea77]

Hi there -

My family just started the chicken adventure. We have 3 week old chicks, 3 of them, 2 Buffs and a black Australorp. I have not been handling them enough (we've had them for about 5 days) and now they seem really skittish! They are safely kept from our indoor cat but I wonder if her prescence around them when we're not around to supervise is causing the nervousness.

 

[TINCHER]

Welcome!
I also have three black australorps... I think all chickens are skittish at that age, it will change as they get older

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Did you get them from a retail outlet or an individual? Given their age I would say their current attitude is more likely to do with natural skittishness for their age and whatever situation they came from before landing in your home and not about the cat. If you are concerned about the cat issue, the easiest solution is to put them in a room that can be closed off from the cat any time you are not there. Other than that, just start working on socializing them to you.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Congratulations and Good Luck with your new chicks! It does take chicks awhile to get used to you and to calm down when you handle them, slow careful movements, many short sessions a day, and just leaving your hand in the brooder box for them to get used to you, and eventually hand feeding them helps. In the Learning Center, there are a couple of nice articles on socializing baby chicks https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-socialize-baby-chickens and https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-raise-a-chicken-as-a-family-pet and the Learning Center in general https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
I would consider not letting the keeping the cat away from them for awhile if she is really giving them the eye, chicks are prey animals and they do have some instinctive reactions to predators or predatory behaviors.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

You will love your Black Australorp. Very friendly and docile. My girls are huge lap sitters! Looks like Kelsie has set you up with the links. Definitely do some reading in the learning center for some great reads on keeping your new babies.

 

[gander007]

 

[chickpea77]

Did you get them from a retail outlet or an individual?

They came from a small scale nursery in Portland with a box of about 20 or so chicks that age. Strangely though the nursery staff said the store cat lived there with all of them overnight so they should be used to cats...and that brooder wasn't even covered! That was a well trained cat I guess. My cat is old but so very curious. Unfortunately our house is small and space is limited. We have an 18 month old son so the litter boxes are in the basement which is one big unfinished space, which is also the only place the chicks can be, so you see our predicament.

I am trying to come at them now from the side and just holding my hand in the box. Tonight I will try some scratch in my hand and see if they eat from me. It doesn't help that anytime they start running and "flying" about I jump too, making for a whole bunch of skittish behavior!

 

[chickpea77]

Also I should say...we have them in an old portable baby crib ("pack and play") which is not great. We may switch them to a large plastic tub instead because the material is not waterproof as I had hoped. It was funny putting chicks in a baby crib.

 

[TwoCrows]

Also I should say...we have them in an old portable baby crib ("pack and play") which is not great. We may switch them to a large plastic tub instead because the material is not waterproof as I had hoped. It was funny putting chicks in a baby crib.

Babies in a baby crib!! LOL

Enjoy your babies.

Oh, and love your avatar!

 

[drumstick diva]

Maybe if you just sat near their crib and watched them they would come down. You say when they jump around it makes you jumpy and if the cat's there she will get aroused by all the action. Just try to sit and relax and I think they will do the same.